It was wise of the Awami League to agree to the polls: General Ershad

A new Bangladesh shall we build, this solemn vow we take anew, wrote General Ershad, Bangladesh strongman, in a recent poem

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Indranil Banerjie

May 15, 1986

ISSUE DATE: May 15, 1986

UPDATED: January 31, 2014 13:01 IST

"A new Bangladesh shall we build, this solemn vow we take anew" wrote General Ershad, Bangladesh strongman, in a recent poem. And he says it is in fulfilling this vow that lie decided to take the country to the polls - with himself at the helm of the Jatiya Dal which boasts that it will secure a two-third's majority in Parliament.

Through four years as Bangladesh's dictator, Ershad has miraculously been free of any coup attempts, and the country's vociferous opposition has so far been able to do little other than force a postponing of the elections, first promised last year. This Ershad attributes to "hard work" and the almighty Allah. "I don't believe we can ever change what is destined," Ershad explained during an interview in Dhaka last fortnight with INDIA TODAY Senior Correspondent INDRANIL BANERJIE. Excerpts:

Q. Why did you decide to call elections now?A. I had pledged that I would restore democracy in the country, and for the last two years I have been trying to call elections. But the opposition parties were refusing to participate. This time I decided to go it alone even if no other party came forward. It was wise of the Awami League to agree to the polls.

Q. Why were the opposition parties refusing to participate?A. They thought they would be able to create a mass uprising. But they could not muster people. They had no cause and our credit balance was better.

Q. Why does the BNP continue to oppose the elections?A. The BNP does not exist as a party. If they had decided to participate, they would not have been able to put up more than 30 or 40 candidates since most BNP leaders have joined our party. I think Hasina (Awami League) herself mentioned that 178 former BNP MP's have joined the Jatiya Dal.

Q. But the BNP alleges that you are not allowing many middle-level BNP leaders to contest the polls?A. Most of the BNP ministers had been convicted by the BNP government itself on corruption charges. Now the BNP wants them to contest but they are debarred by the election rules which impose a five-year ban following their conviction.

Q. Do you expect free and fair elections under martial law?A. The Opposition are the rigging experts and the whole country knows it. How can the Government rig the polls? There are over 30 parties taking part and their representatives will be present at every polling booth. How is it possible to rig? One day or the other, people will come to know whether the election results are true or not. Besides I don't want to remain president in a country where the people don't have faith in me.

Q. What will be the use of a Parliament and what will be its relationship with you since you will remain the President?A. With the completion of the parliamentary elections, the suspended Constitution will be revived and martial law will go. Parliament as a legislative body will be sovereign and my relationship with it will be determined by the provisions in the Constitution. Nothing more, nothing less.

Q. Have fundamental rights been restored as yet?A. I have revived some fundamental rights. I can't remember exactly. But people are free to write or express whatever they want. I have also dissolved all martial law offices throughout the country.

Q. How did you form the Jatiya Dal?A. It was all part of a process. We needed a political party to continue with the policies and programmes taken up during the past four years.

Q. Do you think such a young party will be able to make any dent in the forthcoming elections?A. The party may be new but its leaders are old. The nucleus of the party is composed of politicians who had defected from the BNP. Moreover, a number of smaller parties like the Democratic Muslim League and an Awami League faction have joined us. Our party's greatest strength is the achievements of this Government during the past four years. Today, not even the Opposition can claim that they will make things better than they are.

Q. What have been your major achievements as President?A. I have been able to give the country a new sense of direction and self-respect. I have managed to decentralise administration, beginning with the introduction of the upzilla system. Today we record all important data-like food prices and family planning-from the upzillas and take immediate action if something is wrong. We are trying to decentralise everything, to cut down bureaucratic interference and make people accountable. It's a difficult job but now we are going to get in computers to evaluate people and data and make sure things don't get bogged down.

Q. In Bangladesh's history, the army has played an important role in destabilising successive governments. Are you confident about the continued support and hacking of the army?A. I have changed the course of history of the country in the last four years. There has not been a single coup attempt. Today, the armed forces are happy with the situation and are totally committed to restore democracy.

The constitution will be revived. Parliament will be sovereign and my relation with it determined by the constitution.

Q. Countries like Bangladesh have always been a bit suspicious of India. Does this suspicion linger?A. Suspicion has greatly been removed due to your new prime minister, especially after the SAARC. But some sections of the people are still supicious of what they consider the Indo-Soviet axis. But then there have been many positive signs-agreement on the sharing of the Ganga waters, the barbed wire fence not coming up. We, however, have been disappointed by India's refusal to hand over the Tin Bigha corridor. After all, India is a big country and it can afford to be more generous.

Q. What is your dream about Bangladesh?A. The aim is to mitigate some suffering some pain, not by words but by policy decisions. If we can improve the conditions of the villages, Bangladesh will automatically take off. It has been static for centuries. It has to shrug off this weariness and I have showed that this is not impossible.

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